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Agent: Ichiro wants to stay with Yanks

Agent: Ichiro wants to stay with Yanks

MLB.com Yankees reporter Bryan Hoch breaks down the possibility of Ichiro Suzuki returning to play for the Yankees in 2013

By Evan Drellich
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MLB.com |

Coming to the Yankees proved a boon to Ichiro Suzuki, and the 39-year-old free agent wants to keep a good thing going.

Suzuki's agent Tony Attanasio said Suzuki wants to remain with the Yanks, according to a New York Post report on Saturday.

"They are going after pitching first which is what the Yankees normally do," Attanasio said. "There has been a lot of interest [from teams], but he enjoyed playing for the Yankees so much it's hard for him to say no to the Yankees. His preference is to stay there instead of going someplace else, but we will wait and see."

Suzuki played 67 regular-season games with the Yankees last season after being traded by Seattle, the only other team he's ever played for in the Majors. He put up a .322/.340/.454 line, after he carried a .261/.288/.353 line in 95 games with Seattle.

Suzuki made $17 million last season, so he'll be taking a pay cut no matter where he goes. Re-signing some other veterans, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, appears highest on the Yankees' priority list right now.

Evan Drellich is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @EvanDrellich. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.